S1E13: China relaxes pandemic travel curbs but this does not feel like a new phase: Letter From The Bureau

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe. They talk about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises. In this episode, she chats with ST's China correspondent Elizabeth Law.  China, which has maintained some of the world's strictest entry requirements, eased its quarantine policy for international arrivals in late June, 2022.  It was the most significant relaxation of curbs since the Covid-19 pandemic began, but does it mean Beijing is ready to be more tolerant of the virus? Highlights (click/tap above): 2:15 Elizabeth Law on recovering from Covid in a Shanghai hospital 4:13 Motivation behind China's decision to cut quarantine for international travellers; a big change from China’s Covid-zero approach? 9:17 Does living with the virus mean “lying flat”, the translation of the Chinese phrase "tang ping"? 12:59 What is “strategic disobedience”? 16:23 In a politically important year, will the Shanghai and Beijing leaders be impacted by the way they handled the Covid outbreak? Read Elizabeth Law’s article here: https://str.sg/wL8G Produced by: Bhagyashree Garekar ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Teo Tong Kai Edited by: Teo Tong Kai  Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month on our Asian Insider Podcast channel here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wQsB  Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Websites:  https://www.moneyfm893.sg/ http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: [email protected] Read Bhagyashree Garekar’s articles: https://str.sg/whNo Read Elizabeth Law’s articles: https://str.sg/wL8c Follow Elizabeth Law on Twitter: https://str.sg/wL8p Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters --- Discover ST's special edition podcasts: Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2 Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m SG Extra: https://str.sg/wukR #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.